Pages

Surlingham and South Yare Year List

Sunday, 12 June 2011

Double Patch Update

An evening and morning visit to blog about.Thursday evening, and a new bird for the reserve. 2 juvenile Grey Wagtail were on the muddy edges of the lagoon, and whilst being the first time I have clapped eyes on this species at Surlingham, there is plenty of suitable breeding habitat around the streams near the landspring. Also present was a single Green Sandpiper. If I put in enough hours, I reckon I could record this bird for every calendar month! My short paper, 'The occurance and behaviour of Green Sandpiper at Surlingham Church Marsh', is under production! This individual seemed relaxed, little bobbing, no calling, infact not much of anything. A Barn Owl was hunting over the river, and the usual Warblers gave us their eveningsong.Today, I made an earlier start in order to 'do' the reserve before the shooting begins. Of note were 5/6 Oystercatcher on the other side of the river, which will hopefully fledge some young between them. The story of breeding Waders took a turn for the worse at the lagoon; no sign of any Lapwing chicks, but the pair that attempted to breed first time around are trying again. The female is sat tight, the male on constant guard. Plenty of ducks on the lagoon, including offspring of Mallard, Shelduck (where did they come from?) and Gadwall. A Grey Heron was lurking a little too close for comfort, if you are a duckling.A Grasshopper Warbler was a late morning reeler, and Reed Bunting continue to call and feed young. I startled a female Sparrowhawk, and the usual male Marsh Harrier was hunting near the ruins. Walking back to the car, I saw my first Meadow Brown Butterlies of the year.

No comments:

Post a Comment

About Me

I'm Jim, and I teach in Beccles which is a nice change from Thetford. I have always been interested in wildlife, but have been birding seriously since uni, where I penned a dissertation on a history of man and nature at Minsmere RSPB reserve.
I have been birding in Ecuador, Estonia, Thailand and Argentina, and closer to home I was the recipient of the JMHF grant and spent two weeks volunteering on Fair Isle.
I enjoy studying Bats, Butterflies, Moths and Dragonflies; anything that flies it would seem! Much of term time is taken up with teaching and planning, but I am a keen patch birder as well as rarity hunter
.
I am volunteer Assistant Warden at my patch of RSPB Surlingham Church Marsh. I am also a mentor for conservation group A Focus On Nature. It is a privilege to be asked to be a mentor for AFON, and I look forward to helping young people connect with the natural world. I also offer local private guided wildlife tours. I believe connecting with the countryside can have a positive effect on the mental health of the nation, and I hope the next generation can reap the benefits whilst ensuring the sustainability of habitats at home and abroad.